Lubricating device for turbine-driven centrifugal machines.



H. 0. LINDGREN.

LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR TU-BBINE DRIVEN CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES. APPLICATIONFILED 010.28. ms. RENEWED NOV. 2. 1911.v

1,253,400.- Patented Jan. 15,1918.

f g k g 5: k q 5 J UNITED STATES PATENT orrios.

m5 010] LINDGBEN, O1 STOGKHOLH, SWEDEN, ASSIGNOR T0 AKTIEBoI JA-GET:SEPABATOB, OI S'IOGKHOLH, SWEDEN.

LUBBIGATINGDEVICE FOB TURBINE-DRIVEN CENTBIFUGAL' MACHINES.

Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

Application fled December 28, 1015, Serial Io. 88,988. Renewed ltevember2, 1917. Serial No. 200,000.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that, I, HANS Onor Lmncnnng, a subject of the King ofSweden,- residing at Stockholm, Sweden, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Lubricating Devices for Turbine-DrivenCentrifugal Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

In the dairy industry centrifugal cream separators are used, which aredirectly driven by means of steam turbines: The steam exhausted fromsaid turbines is usually utilized for heating or pasteurizing the milkto beseparated. In order, however, that this may take place withoutinconvenience, it is necessa that the exhaust steam be so far as possile free from oil particles, which, when present, are deposited on theheating surface of the pasteurizer and thereby interfere with thetransmission of heat across the walls of same.

The present invention relates to an improvement, whereby an efiectiveand economical lubricating of the different parts of the machinery iseffected. At the same time the invention provides an ap aratus of suchconstruction that oil partic es will not be drawn ofi with the exhauststeam.

The nature of the invention will more fully. appear from the followingdetailed description thereof, with reference to the accompanyingdrawing, which illustrates schematically the lower art of a turbinedriven cream separator with the appendant" frame-and bearing devices invertical crosssectiou. a is the turbine disk, which is This latter is atthe upper and guided by the bearing ing d. e isa bottom screw, whichtakes up the weight of the rotating parts and eventuall other downwardlyacting powers. In the aring c a bushing f is inserted to which oil isconducted in a suitable manner and from whose lower end the same flowsintoachamber g.

'In the bottomofsa'd chamber a bushing h preferably made of Babbitts isinserted, leaving a small annular space between itself and the bowlspindle b. Beneath the said bushing it there is another chamber i, inthe bottom of which also a bushing f is inserted not quite closely"surrounding the spindle. The chamber 13 is by means of a pipe. k

c andat the lower end by the bear:

chamber m surrounding the lower end of the bowls indie and the top ofthe bottom screw e. he bearing d isprovided with a bushing n, and abovesaid bushing there is a chamber 0 formed in the wall of the bearin' Thischamber is at the upper side cover by a bushing 22 not quite closelysurrounding the bowl spindle. The chamber 0 is b means of the pipe gincommunication wit the air, so that the atmospheric pressure alwaysprevails in the said chamber.

The function of the above described device is as follows:

The oil escaping from the bushing f is collected in the chamber g, fromwhich the same passes through the pipe l'into the chamber m. Asatmospheric pressure always prevails in the chamber 2' there is no 0%air enters the turbine house through the annular space between thebushing the s indle, but this has no'influence upon the owing of the oilintothe chamber g nor on the conducting of same into chamber mthroughpipe Z. As soon ,as theoil has filled up the said chamber m,thesame rises inside the bushing n into the chamber 0 from which itescapes through pipe g. By prevailing over-pressure in the turbine housea small .quantity of steam enters into the chamber a through the annularspace between the bushing p and the spindle, and by vacuum a smalthrough pipe 9 and the chamber 0 into the turbine house, this havin noinfluence on the'lubricating of the bus ing n, as on the upper surfaceof same the atmospheric pressure always gevails.

By the a ve described device it thus transpires that although no closefit between the bushings h j and' a decrease-of pressure a smallquantity 10o quantlty of air is sucked the bowl spindle and the bottomand cover of the surrounding turbine house is necessitated, fullsecurity is gained, that the lubricating of the parts takes place in thedesired manner and independent of eventually revailing overorunderpressure in the tur ine house, and in addition thereto the oil isprevented from being drawn 05 with the steam.

, The above described lubricating device may be modified in this way,that the oil is not conducted from chamber 9 into chamber m, but insteadthereof into chamber 0, whereby, of course, the pipe g communieatingwith the atmosphere mi ht not lead from the bottom of the said 0 amber.In this case the oil sinks down through the bushing n into the chamberm, lubricating the top a of the bottom screw, whereafter the same isdrawn oil from the said chamber.

What I claim is 1. In steam turbines for driving centrifugal machines, aturbine housing, bearing bushings in the top and bottom 0 the housing, aspindle passing through said bearing bushings, and means for lubricatingsaid bushings and said spindle independently of the existing pressure inthe turbine housing.

2. In steam turbines for driving centrifugal machines, a closed turbinehousing having upper and lower oil-receiving chambers, a top bearingbushing above the upper oil-' recelving chamber, a bottom bearing bushinabove the bottom oil chamber, a driving spindle rotatably mounted insaid bushings, a turbine wheel mounted upon said spindle, and means forpreventing the pressure existing in the turbine housing from interferingwith the oil suppl to said bearing bushin s.

3. In steam' turbines for driving centri ugal machines, a closed turbinehousing provided with a plurality of upper chambers and a plurality oflower chambers, a top bearing bushing above said upper chambers, arestricted communicating passage between said upper chambers, acommunicating pas-.

sage elng rovided between said u per chamber and the interior, of saidtur ine housing, a bearin at the bottom of said lower chambers, a caringbushing between said lower chambers, a communicatin passage beingprovided between one 0 said lower chambers and the interior of saidturbine housing, one of said upper chambers and one of said lowerchambers having air vents, a driving spindle mounted in said bushings, atur ine wheel mounted on the driving spindle, and means for conveyinglubricating fluid from one of said upper chambers to one of said lowerchambers; substantially as described.

4. In steam turbines for driving centrifugal machines, in combination, adriving spindle, a turbine wheel mounted on said spindle, a closedturbine housing for the turbine wheel, a lubricating top bearing bushingsurroundin said spindle, said housing beingprovide with anoil-collecting chamber beneath said bushing and with a second chamberbeneath said oil-collecting chamber, said second chamber communicatingwith the oil-collecting chamber and with the open air and alsocommunicating with the turbine housin a bottom bearing bushing, saidhousing eing also provided with a chamber beneath said bottom bearinbushing, which chamber communicates wlth the upper oil-collectingchamber, and said housing being provided with a chamber above saidbottom bearing bushing for collecting the oil mountin through the lowerbushing, said collecting c amber being connected with the open air andwith the interior of the turbine housing; substantially as described.

5. In steam turbines for driving centrifugal machines, a turbinehousing, top and bottom bearing bushings, a spindle passing through saidbearing bushings, a turbine wheel mounted on the spindle, and means forlubricating said bushings and said spindle independently of the existingpressure in the turbine housin and for preventing the entrance oflubricating fluid into said housing.

6. In steam turbines for driving centrifugal machines, in combination, aturbine housing, a top bearing bushing, a bottom bearing bushing, saidhousing having anairvented chamber below said top bearing bushing andhaving a second air-vented chamber above the lower bearing bushing, arestricted passage 'being provided from the interior of the housing toeach of said air-vented chambers, an oil chamber being provided betweenthe upper bearing bushing and the upper air-vented chamber and havingrestricted communication with said air-vented chamber, an oil chamberbeing provided below the bottom bearing bushing and means connecting thelast-named oil chamber with the up erjoil chamber.

In steam turbines for driving centrifual machines, in combination, aclosed turine housing, an upper bearing bushin a.

lower bearing bushing, a shaft mounte in said bushings, a turbine-wheelupon said shaft, a bushin shaft and spac beneath said u per bearingbushing to form an air-vente chamber, and a bushing loosely surroundingsaid shaft and s aced above said lower bearing loosely surrounding saidbushing to orm a second air-vented ehambet.

8. In steam turbines for driving centrifu gal machines, in combination,a closed turbine housing, an upper bearing bushing, a lower bushing, ashaft mounted in said bearingkg ushings, a turbine-wheel upon saidshaft, ai""b'ishing spaced beneath said upper bearing bushing andloosely surrounding said shaft, an air-vented chamber being rovidedbetween said upper bearingbushmg and said loose bushing,-said air-ventedchamber communicating with the interior of the housing, a bushings acedabove sald lower bearing bushing and oosely surrounding said shaft, anair-vented chamber being provided between said lower bearing bushmgand'said loose bushing, said air-vented chamber communicating with theinterior of theihousing. a

9. In steam turbines for driving centrifu- 1 machines, a vturbine housintop and ttom bearin members, a spin e passing through said. members, aturbine wheel mounted on the spindle, and means for preventing thepressure existing in the turbine housing from interfering with thesupply of lubricant to said bearing members.

10; In steam turbines for driving centrifugal machin in combination, aturbine housing, a pl ity of bearing members, a spin e mounted in saidbearing members, "a turbine wheel on the spindle and, means forpreventing the pressure existing in the turbine housing from'interfering with the supplyof lubricant to said members.

11.'In steam" turbines for driving cen-' trifugal machines, incombination, a closed turbine housing, an upper bearing bushing, a'lowerbushing, a shaft mounted in said bushings, a turbine wheel upon saidshaft, said housing being provided with an .air-vented chamber belowsaid upper bearing' bushing and a second air-vented chamber above saidlower bearing bushing, each of said chambers communicating wlth theinterior of the turbine housing h nular surrounding said she 12, asteam-driven centrifugal machine, a turbine housing eon a tur- 1 binewheelchamber, a rabbi bearings one of. which is'abo've and the otherbelow said chamber, a spindle mounted in said bearings, a turbine wheelmounted on said spindle, said housing being provided with an air-chamberbetween each bearing and the turbine wheel chamber each of said airbe',rovided with municating "wit the atmosphere,

and means between a"-chamber and.

wheel for providing in presence o twowitn Witn 'Fann: L201.

HANS 'OLOF IHDGREN. a

